Michael Tarot
Michael Tarot is a first year Slytherin at Hogwarts. He likely would have gone to Ravenclaw without the intervention of the summer camp, which awakened within him a desire to revamp the image of Slytherin. "Elodie is right that Michael is not someone to be ignored, and yet, Cecilia, his best friend, is probably the biggest offender in that regard. In ignoring Michael, in pushing past the first of them to master Finite, the Charms master (she scoffs at this to herself, sometimes- he tries to make it look so effortless, and she even once believed that it was for him, but she's seen Michael screaming in frustration unable to cast, heard him whispering about his struggles with Colovaria, seen him work and work and work until the spell goes off- it's hardly effortless, hardly has the practiced ease he seems to be perfecting with each passing day, and yet it is that which he takes pride in, instead of the work that takes such a toll on his mind, on his body, on his damn soul. So she scoffs at her best friend and Wingardiums her textbook over when he's sick and feverish on her shoulder, because it's not and never has been effortless. It will always take something away from them.) Where was she? Oh, yes. Michael, the first to master Finite, the charms master, the eloquent and well spoken pureblood Slytherin. Things Cee has so easily ignored for the boy who thought of a computer to cast his spell, whose hand still shakes sometimes when she helps him shape Reparo, who has pressed hands against her neck to soothe and murmured to her in hospital beds and shaken with pain in her lap. She knows which one is someone to ignore." - Cecilia Evans on Michael Appearance Michael is a male child of average height. He is of caucasian descent, with pale skin that speaks of little time spent outside. His hair is a little too long to be considered neat or even tameable. It is a very dark blonde, bordering on a light brown, and indeed many mistake it as such if he is not in sunlight. It also carries a slight curl, a bit too strong to be considered wavy. He has peculiar eyes that consist of various shades of green that almost seem to shimmer due to a natural wetness which makes them seem deeper than is normal. In general the colouring can be called pale but they have been known to darken if his mood does the same. He has no obvious markings in the form of scarring, nor have teenage imperfections taken home on his body. Beyond that, he has a minor under bite, a fairly strong chin and his face is fairly angular in his youth. For the most part he looks confident, a polite smile easily summoned. Personality Michael is a quiet, reserved child. He is prone to mild anxiety in unexpected social circumstances. Conversely, he despises doing something for the first time on his own. He feels as though he desperately requires close guidance or instructions in order to succeed. He needs order. That said, once he has succeeded at something he feels confident enough to do it again on his own, although he struggles when he feels as though he is being scrutinized. Ergo, if he believes he is being watched, his anxiety skyrockets and he underperforms. He often attempts to disguise his anxiety with self depreciative humour. He prefers to watch and learn, rather than jump straight into things. He has difficulty processing powerful emotions and it shows. Still, he is inquisitive by nature and always seeks to learn the why's of the world, where others may be content with how's and when's. He is not at all confident in his own abilities to do much, and fears ridicule and rejection above all else. As such, he prefers the company of books and stories to actual people. He has learned to use logic and reason instead of emotion, believing these to be superior tools. He is not a particularly hard worker by nature, but this is subject to change if he is interested in the subject matter. Upon arriving at Hogwarts, Michael decided that he was not strong enough, not smart enough, not social enough, just not enough to achieve his goals. As such, he developed a mask that he refers to as Michael. Michael comes across as confident and is well spoken. He is difficult to get to know because he insists on keeping everyone at a distance, lest they break through his mask and discover what he thinks of as his true self - the shy, scared boy that worries and is easy to read. He believes that he has no place in his life for true friends because that would involve letting people see his true self. The one exception to this rule is Cecilia Evans, a metamorphmagus ravenclaw in his year. This is partly to do with Michael's strict definition of what he calls a friend. He is obsessed with coming across as talented and confident and focuses on Charms and History above all else. He wants to look like it comes easy to him and practices all the time. He works extremely hard and tries to give off the impression that he doesn't work more than others. Background Michael was born and lives in South Africa. His mother was a witch who fled Britain during the second wizarding war when she was just out of school. His father, a muggle, had always lived in South Africa. For the most part, Michael grew up muggle, but was always aware that his mother was of a magical nature. In muggle primary school, which he attended for four and a half years before his Hogwarts letter arrived, he made very few friends, and none for longer than a half year. He was a child who was permitted to play with other, more popular kids but who was dropped or teased before any other in the group. Not knowing any better, he would constantly return to them when the hurt had dimmed, but slowly he learned to shield and suppress his emotional outbursts. He slowly withdrew over the course of these four years, retreating to books and fiction. As a result, he is eager to learn magic, but terrified of the people he has yet to experience and the unknown scenario he will be placed into with no one he knows. Relationships Cecilia Evans (Cee) Cee is Michael's closest and only friend. They started off learning Finite Incantatem together and attended the Halloween ball as friends. There they bonded and she broke through Michael. Since then he tries to be himself around her and she has become very dear to him at an alarming rate. He will still keep things from her but this is generally because he has trouble opening up or because he thinks it is for her sake. Ariana Havelock (Ari) Ari is Michael's mentor and the first student he ever met. He likes her quite a bit and is more relaxed with his mask with her. He thinks she is intelligent and very nice, if a bit naive. He greatly respects her and she is the only person he allows to call him 'Mike' as of yet. Sunny Nocturne Sunny is a bit of a wildcard for Michael. She's all sunshine and hearts before she throws in a cold threat and he's left wondering what just happened. More than that, she is the one that taught him Finite Incantatem, leading to him being the first in the year to master the difficult spell. Élodie Moreau Élodie is interesting. Michael has no other word that better describes how he feels about her. He's constantly trying to figure her out, a puzzle or game that he wants to beat. He always keeps his mask up around her in particular, feeling that she has her own and wanting to match that. He's also wary of her, viewing her own mask as superior and more practiced than his own. Chao Lin Michael has a special dislike for Lin. They bickered over a game of chess about why he should or should not be allowed to remain Cee's friend. The end result was both of them not trusting the other at all. He thinks Lin does not see his friend as a real person, valuing her only for her powers and it disgusts him. Mirage Lilacfeather Michael is not fond of Mirage either. Everytime he speaks with her the conversation goes completely off the rails, driven by her. She makes no sense to him and he avoids her whenever he can. For some reason she riles him up easily, without even meaning to. Annise East Annise is another interesting one to Michael. He doesn't know her very well but he respects her and believes they have similar goals and methods. For the most part if there is a contest with her involved, Michael will vote her way 'Cee Protection Squad' (Shaw, Alec, Ara, Lin) Apart from Lin, Michael has no strong feelings about Cee's other close friends. He gets jealous of them easily and is wary and reserved around them but otherwise they are only a part of his life due to Cee. Everyone Else Those not on this list probably don't register much to Michael. Generally he will be polite but distant. He knows some better than others but is primarily concerned with building a reputation for himself by letting his actions or others speak for him.Category:Students Category:Characters Category:Slytherins Category:Half-bloods Category:Class of 2026 Category:Males